Living As the Villainess Queen (Web Novel KR)-Chapter 424.2
“Do you believe the elder in the Holy City will help you?” Eugene asked.
Mara’s red eyes gleamed faintly as it replied, its tone laced with bitterness. “Do you think Mahar could have fooled the world this long simply by being clever? That sorcerer’s spells are on another level. I could never maintain a human form for long, like he did—not just because of vitality but because of the sheer strength of his magic.”
Eugene nodded slowly, her expression thoughtful. “No sorcerer has ever rivaled Alber in skill,” she said softly. “And likely, no one ever will.”
Mara shifted slightly, its massive coils rippling. “Why do you need me? What can I possibly do to help?” Eugene asked, her gaze steady as she tried to piece together Mara’s intent.
The serpent’s voice resonated in her mind, each word deliberate.
“Because you’re close to that sorcerer.”
Eugene frowned, her fingers tightening around the folds of her robe. “Even so, I can’t influence their decisions. Even if you go to the Holy City, the kings won’t attack you outright. I can relay a message to Kasser through the sorcery notebook,” she offered.
Mara’s agitation returned, a low growl rumbling in its throat. “I can’t trust them. I don’t trust the kings! There are six people there who can annihilate me in an instant!”
Eugene gave a small, bitter smile. The serpent’s distrust was understandable. The thought of smooth communication between Mara and the kings—who viewed beings like him with disdain—seemed laughable at best.
“Then do you trust me?” she asked, her tone quieter but piercing.
Mara let out a sharp sound, something between a snort and a huff. After a pause, it replied, “You do keep your promises.”
Eugene chuckled softly, the sound light but genuine. Gaining Mara’s trust, however begrudging, felt oddly satisfying. Her resolve to help him was growing, even as the obstacles loomed large.
“Mara,” she said, shifting her stance slightly, “as you know, I’m pregnant. I can’t undertake a physically taxing journey right now.”
The serpent’s gaze narrowed, and its reply came swiftly. “You’ll arrive by midnight. After a nap, you’ll feel fine. It’s manageable, isn’t it?”
“Midnight?” Eugene blinked, startled. “We’ll reach the Holy City by midnight if we leave now?”
The sky had deepened to a dusky gray, the last traces of sunlight fading into the horizon. The growing darkness reminded her of how late it was already. Considering the distance between their current location and the Holy City, the timeline seemed implausible. Original content can be found at Nov3lFɪre.ɴet
Then, a memory resurfaced: Mara’s remarkable speed. He had reached her from the wanderers’ hideout in mere hours.
“How did you travel from the hideout to here? It’s incredibly far,” Eugene asked, her curiosity evident.
“I swam. If you go deep underground, there are waterways. The entire world is interconnected.”
“Oh…” Eugene murmured, her thoughts shifting to the science behind underground aquifers. She remembered learning how these hidden reservoirs supported the surface above, and how over-extraction could lead to sinkholes—nature’s stark reminder of their importance.
“The waterway has a current,” Mara continued. “It took longer to get here because I was swimming against it. To the Holy City, it’s downstream, so it’ll be faster.”
Eugene’s brow furrowed as she processed this. Even if the underground path allowed for straight, unobstructed movement, the distance was vast. Mara’s swimming speed had to be extraordinary.
“Wow…” she breathed, a hint of awe creeping into her voice. “You’re faster than the eye can track. That’s amazing!”
“Swimming is my specialty,” Mara replied, its tone unmistakably smug.
Eugene couldn’t help but imagine the serpent’s metaphorical nose in the air, prideful and towering. She stifled a laugh at the mental image.
“Even if it only takes a few hours,” she said, her tone turning cautious, “being jostled and tossed around would be unbearable in my condition.”
“It won’t jostle at all,” Mara assured her. “It’s smoother than a carriage. Ask him.”
At the prompt, Eugene turned to Aldrit, who seemed slightly dazed but nodded in agreement.
“I didn’t feel anything during the entire trip with Mara,” Aldrit said, his voice filled with quiet amazement. “When we arrived and he said we were here, I was shocked.”
His expression softened as he recalled the journey, a mix of admiration and disbelief crossing his face. “It felt like sitting inside a cave, talking with the elders the whole time.”
With her main concern addressed, Eugene’s thoughts tipped fully in favor of helping Mara. She wanted to see Kasser again, and this might be her only chance to meet Alber. She was also deeply curious about her father and brothers.
“General,” Eugene called, her voice snapping Lester out of his thoughts.
The moment their eyes met, Lester’s head shook vigorously. His gaze begged silently, Please, Your Highness. Don’t do this.
Beside him, Sven wore an indifferent expression, his body language calm and resigned. It seemed to say, I’ll just follow the Queen wherever she goes.
Eugene’s lips curved into a smile. “Let’s do this.”
To Lester, that smile was nothing short of grim—a reaper’s smile announcing his inevitable fate. He sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping as he realized tonight was going to be anything but restful.
***
“After sunset, the elder will head out,” Riner read aloud from the sorcery notebook, his tone flat. “She wants to inspect the site where the barrier sorcery was activated. She thinks there might be a way to use its remnants, but she’ll explain more after seeing it herself.” He shut the book with a decisive snap.
“Prepare the area accordingly,” he added to no one in particular, his gaze sweeping the wrecked plaza.
Lying sprawled haphazardly on the rubble-strewn ground, Riner stretched and muttered to himself, “Preparation, huh? Someone responsible will take care of it.”
With a languid sigh, he flopped onto his back and stared at the clear sky, clicking his tongue. “Too bad. That thing had such a great feel to it,” he mused aloud, referring to the creature they had just defeated.
If it had been slightly less frantic, he might’ve taken his time tormenting it. But the moment had passed, and now he felt too lazy to care about anything else. Around him, soldiers bustled to assess the damage, taking great care to avoid his vicinity.
“Fire King,” a voice called sharply.
Riner cracked one eye open to see the Fourth King, standing alongside the Dark King. He yawned before replying, “What is it now?”
Akil spoke first, his tone measured. “The Dark King says the creature mentioned something interesting. Apparently, there’s a treasure hoard in Cliff Mountain.”
Riner shot upright, his interest instantly piqued. “Why would it tell you that?” he demanded, narrowing his eyes at Pered. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
Pered hesitated, and Riner immediately pointed an accusing finger at him. “It tried to bribe you, didn’t it? Confess! Were you tempted? You’re always saying how disappointed you are in me—well?”
Riner’s booming voice drew the attention of nearby soldiers, who began to glance over curiously. Pered’s scowl deepened as he noticed the growing audience.
“Tempted? That’s insulting,” Pered replied coldly.
“Then what did it say to you?” Riner pressed, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
By now, Kasser and Richard had joined the group, their gazes fixed on Pered. Feeling the weight of their stares, Pered coughed awkwardly before finally admitting, “…It said the kingdom’s entire population could live idly for a hundred years with what’s there.”
Riner let out a low whistle, impressed. “You passed up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he said with a smug grin.
The look on his face, like he’d just uncovered a delightful secret, was enough to set Pered’s teeth on edge. Irritation flashed in the Dark King’s eyes as his fist tightened at his side. He was sorely tempted to plant another bruise on Riner’s smirking face.
Watching the exchange, Akil thought wryly, The Fire King may seem simple, but he’s surprisingly vindictive.
Before things could escalate further, Richard stepped in. “Let’s go see what kind of treasure it is. I’m curious about the creature’s sense of value.”
“Agreed!” Riner exclaimed, leaping to his feet with renewed enthusiasm.
At last, something interesting had come along to break the monotony, and he wasn’t about to miss it.
